HIV+ detainee bites cops to avoid interrogation

The 33-year-old, who has been held on charges of robbery and cheating, allegedly sinks his teeth into policemen whenever they try to question him to recover stolen booty

Since last night, cops at the Kurla GRP police station have been quaking with fear. The source of their great apprehension is a man being incarcerated in a cell at the station, on charges of robbery and cheating, who claims he is HIV positive, and pounces on cops to bite them, whenever they approach him for interrogations.

Ill-at-ease: Cops are now trying to transfer the HIV positive accused (face blurred) to judicial custody

The cowering cops, terrified that they will contract the deadly infection from the accused if he sinks his teeth into their skin, are now desperately trying to be exonerated from their custodial duties, and transfer the 33-year-old to judicial custody.

The man was arrested in connection with a fraud case, in which he, along with three accomplices, extracted money from a 24-year-old railway commuter on the pretext of procuring a ticket for him at a short notice. They later fled with the money.

Cops have managed to arrest the four accused, but are having a tough time recovering the booty from their allegedly HIV positive kingpin, as he digs his teeth deep into the cops every time they approach him for interrogations.

The caseOn November 21, Siddique Mohammad Venote House (24), a Kerala native, was standing in line at the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus in Kurla to buy tickets back to Kannur for himself and a friend.

"A mobile shop operator, Siddiqui had bought some mobile accessories from Crawford Market, and decided to purchase a ticket for the Netravati Express from the Lokhmanya Tilak Terminus in Kurla. The accused accosted him, offered to buy them for him," said a police officer from Kurla GRP.

Unwilling to stand in line, Siddiqui accepted the offer, and paid the man Rs 1,000 for two tickets. The accused, however, returned with just one ticket. When Siddique cried foul, the accused and his three accomplices assaulted him, fleeing with the booty of Rs 5,000 that they had been paid for the second ticket.

Siddique approached the cops and registered a complaint against his assailants.

On the following day, investigating cops managed to arrest the four accused, who are all residents of Sabale Nagarclose, near Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Kurla.

"When we interrogated the three accomplices, they all told us that they had committed more crimes at the terminus in the past, but all the booty was hoarded by their 33-year-old kingpin. However whenever we approach him, he bites us and claims to be HIV positive," said an officer of the Kurla GRP.

What has intimidated the cops even further is the fact that the man's wife and one of his daughters have already died from an unknown disease.

"We will recover all the money stolen from the victims and our investigations will not be hampered due to his illness," said Shivaji Dhumal, senior inspector of police, Kurla GRP.